The high-tech green card case has become a touchstone for immigration reform

The high-tech green card case has become a touchstone for immigration reform. The House of Representatives will consider "relaxing the immigration of high-tech talents" on the 29th and 30th...

The High-Tech Green Card Case Becomes a Touchstone for Immigration Reform The House of Representatives will consider the case of "relaxing high-tech talent immigration" on the 29th and 30th. This proposal, also known as the "Technology Green Card," has become the first litmus test for whether the two parties will work together on a broad immigration reform bill after the presidential election. However, the White House and Democratic lawmakers expressed their opposition to abolishing the popular "diversity lottery immigration" in exchange for immigration quotas for high-tech talents on the 28th. Early hopes that the case would pave the way for bipartisan cooperation on comprehensive immigration reform dimmed in the first round, and it was unclear whether there would be a turnaround within two days. The House of Representatives Procedure Committee, with Republicans as the majority, held a hearing on the "Technology Green Card" case on the evening of the 28th. During the meeting, the Democratic Party's version of the "High-tech Green Card Case" proposed by Democratic Party members was rejected. It also rejected the Democratic Party's plan to convert the "Investment Green Card" (EB5) and "Regional Center" investment methods from the current short-term measures to permanent ones. The House of Representatives Procedural Committee approved the Judiciary Committee Chairman, Republican Lamar Smith, to propose the cancellation of the current "lottery green card" (diversity lottery immigration). The annual 55,000 "lottery green card" quota will be provided to the "technology green card" of foreign high-tech PhDs. Whatever the PhD can’t use will be given to the MA. The "Technology Green Card Case" also allows the spouses and minor children of U.S. permanent residents to come to the United States to wait for their green cards one year after obtaining permanent resident status. However, these people are not allowed to work in the United States or receive benefits. The biggest difference between the bills of the two parties is that the Democratic version of the "High-tech Green Card Case" will maintain the current "Green Card Lottery" program, while the Republican version will cancel the "Green Card Lottery" program. Before the hearing, the White House expressed opposition on the grounds that the Republican bill would revoke the "green card lottery" program. The "Technology Green Card Case" failed in a vote in the House of Representatives before the election. This time it comes back with a different voting method and is expected to pass in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. However, since the Democratic Party is the majority in the Senate, the version sent to the Senate in the House of Representatives is not a compromise between the two parties, so it is unlikely to be passed in the Senate. Unless the two parties intend to restart negotiations, the "Technology Green Card Case" will once again end in vain due to political party opposition. This should be regarded as the first touchstone for the two parties in their comprehensive immigration reform legislative efforts. Both parties are calculating their respective strengths and preparing for the next confrontation.